Nosey the Elephant Will Remain Out of Reach of Abusive Former Handler, Hugo Liebel...at least for nowAn Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Nosey the elephant MAY be getting the fairytale
ending that she so rightfully deserves. She
will remain at The
Elephant Sanctuary pending more court action by her former "owners."

Nosey the elephant is getting the fairytale ending that she so
rightfully deserves. On January 22 Lawrence County District Court Judge
Terry declared that Nosey the elephant won’t be returned to the people who
left her chained and swaying back and forth in her own waste with urinary
tract, skin, and roundworm infections as well as painful osteoarthritis and
signs of dehydration and malnutrition. She will remain at The Elephant
Sanctuary.

PETA’s campaign for Nosey started in 2004, when a whistleblower reported
that she was being routinely abused with bullhooks and electric prods. Over
the years, PETA has persuaded venues not to host performances with the
suffering elephant, persuaded authorities to bar Hugo Liebel’s elephant act,
worked with elephant experts, engaged members of Congress, and obtained
celebrity support in favor of her release to an accredited sanctuary where
her needs could be met properly.

PETA thanks local authorities for initiating this course of events and
everyone who worked to keep Nosey away from Liebel—the man who used chains
and intimidation in order to force her to give rides for decades.

The Road to Justice Was a Long One

Prior to Nosey’s seizure, Liebel had been cited by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture for nearly 200 animal-welfare violations. Most of these
citations were related to his mistreatment of Nosey, including repeatedly
chaining her so tightly that she could barely move and denying her necessary
veterinary care. This cruelty had been occurring for decades.

On November 8, 2017, Lawrence County District Court Judge Angela Terry
issued a writ of seizure after Animal Control Officer (ACO) Kimberly
Carpenter—who could be described as Nosey’s guardian angel—found the
elephant confined to a trailer at a truck-repair shop where the Liebels were
reportedly having their brakes fixed. She was standing in feces and without
proper shelter. The trailer that she was confined to was so small that Nosey
couldn’t take a step or turn around.

On November 9, Judge Terry held a hearing to determine whether the seizure
should stay in place. After the hearing, she ordered animal control to “make
arrangements as necessary for the housing and care” of Nosey. That night,
she was transported to The Elephant Sanctuary (TES) in Tennessee.

At TES, she was and continues to be given the care and protection she
deserved all along. When she arrived at the sanctuary, the staff was waiting
for her with welcome presents: fresh produce, bamboo, and banana leaves. The
veterinary and husbandry teams carefully monitored her throughout the night
and reported that she was calm and already showing interest in her new
surroundings at the lush green refuge. Demonstrating full
transparency—because unlike Liebel, TES has nothing to hide—the sanctuary
has continued to provide updates about Nosey on its website, as well as
through its Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

Nosey FREE at The Elephant Sanctuary

On December 15, a trial was held to determine whether the seizure should
be made permanent. Key testimony came from expert witness Dr. Lydia Young,
associate veterinarian at TES. She testified that Nosey had arrived at the
sanctuary showing signs of dehydration and that she hadn’t been fed enough.
She also had multiple infections: She was suffering from a painful urinary
tract infection, a roundworm infection (which is caused by ingesting fecal
matter), and a chronic bacterial infection from her severely dry, cracked,
and overgrown skin. She was also stiff and sore, and her left hind leg was
swollen. The sanctuary was able to perform radiographs on the leg, which
confirmed that she’s suffering from osteoarthritis. According to Dr. Young,
Nosey requires daily veterinary care for her conditions. Her skin will take
months or years to improve, and osteoarthritis is an incurable, chronic
disease that requires pain management and species-appropriate exercise.

Although the trial lasted more than 10 hours, the judge didn’t rule on the
case at that time.

Another victory was achieved the following day, though, when Liebel and his
wife, Franciszka, were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals in
relation to their treatment of Nosey.

PETA applauds local authorities—including ACO Carpenter and Assistant
District Attorney Callie Waldrep—for standing up to cruelty and making the
best possible case for this elephant. At TES, she’ll continue to receive
round-the-clock veterinary care and protection from all harm. Although
Liebel’s attorney has threatened to appeal, PETA will continue to push to
keep Nosey right where she is.

We’ll continue to monitor the Liebels’ pending criminal case, and we’re glad
that these abusers are finally facing the consequences of their actions.

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